INTERVIEW: Rob Corddry of "Seeking a Friend" Admits He's Jesus

In the mood for an apocalyptic, road trip, rom-com for the first weekend of summer? Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, which comes out todaynd, somehow manages to pull off all three genres in one. We caught up with Rob Corddry, who stars alongside Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Patton Oswalt and many other comedy luminaries in this hilarious tale of Doomsday love, to talk about yellow dresses:

Mindhut: Did you audition specifically for the character of Warren?

RC: I know Lorene [Scafaria], the writer and director and I got the script from my brother. He said, “you have to read this, your friend Lorene wrote it.” I was shooting another movie, and I was weeping in my trailer. I loved it. I immediately emailed Lorene and just said, “this is amazing, I love it. I will do anything in this movie if you will be so kind.” And she was like, “oh yeah, I wrote Warren for you.” [I said] “Oh, well, good that works out, because that’s the one I want to do.”

Mindhut: Do you think your reaction to an impending apocalypse would be the reckless hedonism of your character, or are you more the watch-your-sunset-with-family type?

RC: We’d all have some kind of awakening, and I would just hope mine [would be] positive. I’ve always joked with my wife that if she dies, I’m going to do heroin for a year, and then clean myself up, and then I’ll be a hero. It’ll just be long enough that people go, “alright man, you’re being selfish. You have kids. You got to clean your act up.” And I’ll go “yeah, no, I know.” Then, I’ll do it and everyone will say, “God, what an indomitable spirit.”

Mindhut: There will be biopics about you.

RC: Well, there’s gonna be that anyway.

Mindhut: Why do you think there’s such a perennial appetite for Doomsday fiction?

RC: It’s in the collective unconscious—or even the collective conscious because of 2012. But I think it’s something have always been fascinated with. That’s why the whole 2012 myth exists, because the Mayans were fascinated with it too. It’s so narcissistic for everyone to think that the world is going to end when they’re there. That’s why there’s Jesus! That’s why there’s Christianity! They were pretty sure they were all going to die within the next 30 years. (pause) What I’m saying is: I’m Jesus.

Mindhut: Welcome back.

RC: Follow me.

Mindhut: Was it fun to work with such a comedically star-studded cast?

RC: You know, I didn’t have a scene with Patton [Oswalt], but I was so glad we were in that movie together: the hedonism apocalypse movie that continues even beyond the time that Keira [Knightley] and Steve [Carell] are with us. That’s the great thing about this movie—the survivalist guys, what’s that movie? And the Friendly’s Restaurant guys—I want to see that movie too! That’s what makes [Seeking] so cool. I’ve never felt that way about a road movie before. This one I cared equally about the main characters’ journey and also so intrigued about what else had happened to the other people.

Mindhut: Do you think Seeking might lead to more lighthearted takes on the apocalypse?

RC: I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is a lighthearted take. I would say it’s as uplifting as it can be, but it definitely does not shy away from the reality of it too. Thank God the laughs are there because it’s a pretty heavy movie. It definitely doesn’t pull the punches, apocalypse-wise.

Mindhut: Do you have any details to spill regarding Scafaria’s next opus?

RC: I don’t but I would like to, because I want to be in it! All those guys, Diablo Cody, Dana Fox…

Mindhut: The Fempire, as I believe they’re known.

RC: Man, the Fempire does not even begin to describe the savvy in that group. They are super-cool and smart and I just want to be associated with all of them. I’ll do anything they tell me to do. Anything.

Mindhut: Anything?

RC: Anything! Oh, and here’s a funny thing: Connie [Britton] wears a yellow dress in the movie. I met Lorene and Diablo at the premiere for What Happens in Vegas, and Lorene based that costume on my wife’s dress at that premiere. Isn’t that cool? That is breaking news, and you nailed it.